Despite a spike in new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, health experts are optimistic that Cyprus is still on the right track to overcoming the spread of COVID-19.
Cyprus health authorities reported 12 more infections on Tuesday, up from five the previous day.
These 12 positive cases were detected from 1325 tests, bringing the total of confirmed infections in the Cyprus Republic to 784 since the outbreak on March 9.
The death toll still remains at 12.
Eleven people tested positive from tracing of already confirmed cases whereas no one was found positive through the tests run by the microbiological labs of all General Hospitals. Some 202 tests were carried out on contacts of known cases.
The Health Ministry said that one case was confirmed from 893 tests within the framework of 20,000 tests for frontline workers.
Since April 11, some 10,613 out of the 20,000-test programmed to be carried out.
Health Ministry advisor Dr Leontios Kostrikis said that Tuesday’s results show that Cyprus is still on the right track, however, there is no room for complacency.
“I wish I could tell you today that the downward trend in cases recorded the previous days, was irreversible. However, the increase in cases reveals the outbreak is not entirely under control as there are still sources of infection within the community”.
Meanwhile, some 16 patients are hospitalized at the Famagusta COVID-19 reference hospital, four of whom are in the Advanced Care Unit (ACU).
Their condition is described as generally stable. One patient was discharged.
Ten people are intubated, three of whom are at the ICU of Limassol General Hospital and seven at the ICU in Nicosia General Hospital.
Two more patients are hospitalized at Nicosia General Hospital ICU, but they are not on a ventilator.
All of the ICU patients are critical but stable.
Latest data
Meanwhile, the downward trend in cases is also recorded in the latest epidemiological data released by the Health Ministry, up to 18 April.
It suggests that Cyprus got as close as it has to flatten the curve of cases since the outbreak.
On the 18 April Cyprus had recorded below double figures since the start of the outbreak on March 9, as it reported just six cases.
Coronavirus hotspot Aradippou seems to have stabilised as figures for infections for every 100,000 remain the same as the previous report.
Aradippou still has a higher number of cases compared to its population, as it now has 401 cases for every 100,000 inhabitants.
The municipality has a population of approximately 20,000.
Paphos, however, the second hotspot recorded an increase in cases per 100,000 residents to 115.8 cases from 103.1.
Larnaca is third with 100.7 cases, then Nicosia with 54.4 cases, Famagusta with 47.7, Limassol has 19.6 cases.
Cyprus saw a total of 766 cases until 18 April, out of which 29 (3.8%) were hospitalised at Intensive Care Units.
Out of those hospitalised, 17 patients died. Authorities, however, under a new methodology adopted, registered just 12 with COVID-19 as the underlying cause of death.
Some 6% of cases were aged 0-17, 67% were aged18-59, while 25% belonged to the age group 60+. The median age of cases was 47.
The Ministry did not have sufficient data regarding the age group of some 2% of patients.
It said that for every 100,000 population, 3,674.5 tests were carried out, up from 2,046.2 recorded in the previous report.
Cases treated in hospital ICUs were at the same level on 18 April with those for 1 April, when a record 58 cases were announced.
There is no serious gender divide of COVID-19 cases in Cyprus as according to the latest data, the disease does not distinguish between male and female, as 50% of cases are women and 50% men, although the death rate has been much higher among men.
